May 2, 2007

Dear Colleagues:

British Columbia's forest tree genetic resources are the foundation for maintaining healthy productive forest ecosystems and a globally competitive forest industry. We are fortunate in having strong, internationally recognized, multi-sector group of people dedicated to managing and conserving these resources. These people work for the Provincial and Federal governments, private forestry sector, and universities. Their efforts are guided and coordinated through the Forest Genetics Council of British Columbia (FGC), whom advises me on related policies and issues.

A number of social, economic and environmental drivers, such as the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic and climate change, challenge us to re-examine our assumptions, objectives, activities and desired outcomes for Forest Tree Genetic Resource Conservation and Management (GRM) in BC.

Over the past several months, Dale Draper, Director, Tree Improvement Branch, MoFR; Alvin Yanchuk, Manager, Forest Genetics Section, Research Branch, MoFR; John Elmslie, Industry Co-Chair, FGC, and Jack Woods, Program Manager, FGC, have engaged the GRM community of practice in examining these challenges and issues.

We would like to invite you, as a GRM stakeholder or interested public, to assist in building on this discussion by participating in a Challenge Dialogue TM - a structured but flexible approach to addressing complex challenges with multi-parties in order to develop collaborative and innovative solutions. The purpose of engaging you in this dialogue is to create a collective vision and strategy for GRM that supports sustainable forest management in BC.

I would very much appreciate if you could take some of your valuable and limited time to review the attached Challenge Paper and answer some or all of the questions contained within it. These questions are intended to solicit your opinions and ideas on genetic conservation and resilience, tree improvement, GRM policies and management framework, and opportunities for linking GRM with other programs and initiatives.

Please use the attached feedback form to record your responses and submit it directly to officelink@shaw.ca by May 30, 2007. Comments received will be consolidated and posted (unattributed) by June 6, 2007 at: http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hti/grm/grm_dialogue.htm

These comments will be used to inform a face-to-face Workshop with a few persons representing the cross-section of GRM stakeholders and public, in addition to FGC councillors and others involved in GRM. This meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 12, 2007 in Greater Vancouver. The goal of workshop is to develop the main elements and options for a GRM Strategy and Action Plan to guide the Ministry of Forests and Range, FGC and others involved in GRM.

This is your chance to provide important input in guiding GRM priorities and activities in BC. We welcome your views and commit to bringing them forward in shaping a GRM Strategy that reflects the diverse interests in the Province.

Although we would particularly like to hear from you, please feel to extent this invitation to others in your organization who you feel would have an interest in GRM and in providing useful input.

Further information regarding this GRM Challenge Dialogue, including an earlier dialogue with the GRM community of practice, is available at the website identified above. If your have any questions regarding this dialogue, please feel free to contact any of the dialogue's co-champions or Brian Barber, Deputy Director, Tree Improvement Branch, at (250) 356-0888 or brian.barber@gov.bc.ca.

Thank you in advance of your interest and contribution.

Yours truly,

Jim Snetsinger, RPF
Chief Forester
Ministry of Forests and Range